Trade Shows

The world of education has numerous trade shows.  Big shows for teachers, specialist shows for lecturers, choose a university shows for sixth form students, how to bring up your child shows for parents.

Most of the people I talk to never quite know how much the show has cost, and how much they have taken in sales - and thus what the profit is.  They go because, well, everyone else goes.

Of course, if you are doing the trade exhibitions and you are making money, and you really have done the sums (including the staff costs, the stand hire, the food, the hotels and everything else) and you are making good money, then that is exactly what you are doing.

I can only tell you that I just don't find this to be so.

I was recently at an education exhibition and I went to the stand of the National Bursars' Association.  Waiting until the gentleman on the stand put down his paper, and noticed I was there, I looked around.  No one was coming to see the association, nothing was happening.  I quizzed him on a couple of points, but he said he didn't think it was something relevant to the NBA and went back to his paper.   

Fascinated I hung around.  No one else came by, although the show was crowded.   I wasted half an hour watching.  Eventually the gentleman finished his paper, got up and wandered off, leaving the stand unattended.

The point of my story is that I believe many organisations have stands at shows because they have stands at shows.  All I suggest is that you start questioning the cost, and the reason for being there.

Then if you are going to be there, I do suggest you do something very particular - you ensure that you have exciting, well written PR pieces in the press room.  In my experience 85% if exhibitors don't make any use of the PR facilities that most shows have.  Which just adds to the problem.